This invention relates to a track device for a merchandising display shelf, and, more particularly, to a gravity feed track device for articles on the shelf, particularly bottles, to slide along.
A display rack unit is assembled from multiple track devices for merchandising articles such as bottled or canned drink products. The display rack unit may include a plurality of elongated track devices detachably interconnected in side-by-side relationship at adjacent sidewalls. The number of track devices used to assemble the display rack unit is determined such that the overall size of the unit is suitable for placement onto an existing display shelf in a retail environment to fill the width of the shelf. Sometimes, a display rack unit has single or multiple track devices extruded or molded from a single piece of material for articles to slide along.
Articles in the track can be moved from the rear to the front for dispensing one at a time using gravity. Gravity feed can be achieved easily with a simple track device when the shelf on which the track device rests is inclined. When the shelf is not inclined but has an upwardly extending rear lip, ledge or back stop, gravity feed is still easily achieved with a simple track device that rests on the back stop to raise the rear of the device. A problem with gravity feed devices is that articles sometimes tip over as they feed forward down the track device. It is believed that the forward momentum of an article continues when the article is abruptly stopped by a front stop member at the front of the track device. Tipping is further encouraged by the fact that articles, especially bottles, may have a center of gravity that is situated at a higher elevation than the top of the front stop member. While raising the front stop member would reduce or eliminate tipping, it would obscure or interfere with product labeling and identification, which is undesirable. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that it would be highly desirable to have a device to prevent tipping that does not interfere with product labeling or presentation.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above. Briefly summarized, according to the present invention, a merchandising display shelf track device that is adapted to receive a row of articles for sliding movement therealong comprises a front track segment, a riser panel and one or more ribs. The front track segment has a base wall with a front portion and a rear portion, and the riser panel is upstanding from the front portion of the base wall. The ribs are upstanding from the base wall and are attached to the riser panel. Each rib has a front portion, a rear portion and a top surface extending between its front and rear portions. The rear portion is attached to and contiguous with the rear portion of the base wall while the front portion rises up from the front portion of the base wall. The top surface rises from being contiguous at the rear portion of the base wall to a position above the front portion of the base wall.
The raised top surface is the surface that the article slides along. Because the top surface is raised from the horizontal surface of the track device, it changes the momentum of the article sliding down the track device giving the article vertical velocity and decreasing horizontal velocity. The undesirable tendency of the article to tip over decreases as the horizontal velocity decreases.
The raised top surface interacts with the bottom of an article to further reduce the tendency to tip over. Articles, especially bottles, are constructed with a bottom that is not flat but has a concave or raised central portion to reduce friction and eliminate bulging which causes instability in many circumstances. The edge portion of the bottom of a bottle makes contact with the track device. As the bottle slides along, the leading edge goes up the top surface of the ramp changing the momentum, then slips down onto the ramp bringing the bottle to rest with the central portion of the bottom of the bottle on the ribs and riser, and lodged against the front of the track device.